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Sela Ward

Sela Ward recently starred in the much anticipated sequel to Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

Last year, Ward released her first book, Homesick, which appeared on The New York Times bestseller list. Part inspirational story, part memoir, the book tells Ward's quest for a balance of the comforts of her small-town childhood and her big-city way of life.

Ward received an Emmy Award (and two nominations) for Best Actress in a Drama for her portrayal of Lily Manning on ABC's critically acclaimed dramatic series Once and Again. Created by Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (thirtysomething), Ward's performance also garnered a Golden Globe Award and two nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama.

Ward co-starred in director Mark Christopher's 54 for Miramax. Also starring Mike Myers, Salma Hayek, and Neve Campbell, the film looked at New York's infamous Studio 54 nightclub, a symbol of decadence and celebrity worship in the 1970s.

On television, Ward also starred in Showtime's Rescuers Stories of Courage - Two Women. The series of telefilms was executive-produced by Barbra Streisand.

Ward won an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama in 1994 for her role as Teddy, the struggling artist and recovering alcoholic, on NBC's award-winning series, Sisters, and she was nominated as Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series by the Screen Actors Guild in 1996.

Ward also received unanimous acclaim for her performance in the Lifetime original film, Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, portraying the late NBC News anchorwoman. The film ranks as Lifetime's highest rated movie, and the second highest rated movie in cable history. Ward's performance earned her a Cable Ace award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Special in 1996. She also received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series, as well as an Emmy nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Special.

On the big screen, Ward has appeared in the blockbuster The Fugitive opposite Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Other films include My Fellow Americans with Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd, and Lauren Bacall, Hello Again with Shelley Long and Gabriel Byrne, Garry Marshall's Nothing In Common opposite Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason, Rustler's Rhapsody with Tom Berenger, and Blake Edwards' The Man Who Loved Women opposite Burt Reynolds.

Ward's other television credits include the telefilms The Reef, Double Jeopardy, Killer Rules, The Haunting of Sarah Hardy and Bridesmaids; the mini-series King of Love; a regular role on the CBS series Emerald Point, N.A.S.; and appearances on L.A. Law, Night Court and Saturday Night Live; as well as a recent guest spot on the critically acclaimed situation comedy Frasier.

Ward segued into acting after a highly successful career as a model.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Sela Ward Facts

Birth NameSela Ann Ward
OccupationActress
BirthdayJuly 11, 1956 (67)
SignCancer
BirthplaceMeridian, Mississippi, USA
Height5' 7½" (1m71)  How tall is Sela Ward compared to you?
Awards2001 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama (for Once and Again)
2000 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series (for Once and Again)

Selected Filmography

Runaway Bride
The Day After Tomorrow
The Fugitive
The Guardian
Honeymoon
Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights
The Stepfather
Continue » Find more details on the Sela Ward Movies page